No sooner had Stinkerbell gotten back from her
field trip to Benediktbeuern, did MadHatter have to pack up and head off on hers. Same rules applied - she had to pack her own things, they would not have any communication with us for 3 days and pictures would be few and far between. I thought I would get all of the nitty gritty details when she got back but she just didn't divulge much. I did get the fact that they toured the castle in Chiemsee, took a night hike through the forest, still had to be responsible for their beds, meals and clean up and they had a disco dance on Thursday night. Those are the extent of my details. She told there just wasn't much else to say. Thankfully, one of her chaperones was a bit more forthcoming with details:
Taken directly from the 4th-grade blog, Ms. Moloney writes:
"
On Wednesday, we went to Herrenchiemsee Palace. The children’s curiosity was aroused and they were enthusiastically asking thoughtful questions throughout the tour. They certainly seemed to be impressed and appreciate the opulence and splendor of the decoration. The children were asked to estimate the amount of gold used to decorate the palace. We were surprised to find it was only 5 kg but this was because it was painted on very thinly as gold-leaf. The ratios which our guide shared with us included one gram of gold being used per square meter and 20 euros being the equivalent of one gold mark.
On a residential trip like this self-management skills and independence are important; the students are responsible for the organization and care of their own belongings. Arriving at the accommodation necessitates bed making and this is always hard for them. Many said they had never changed their sheets; therefore fathoming out where to put the corners of a fitted sheet was very confusing. Getting a duvet into a cover was equally challenging.
Mealtimes were another opportunity for the children to be responsible and independent. We took it in turns for different table groups to lay place settings, dish food, clean away and clear the dining room. The students were initially quite taken aback by the expectations but they embraced the challenge with enthusiasm and as teachers, we were impressed by their commitment and diligence.
On our first evening, we were lucky enough to have a guide escort us on a night walk through the forest. The route was circuitous and the path posed simple challenges along the way including ducking under some trees, squelching through patches of mud and walking in single file. The students were excited and worked well cooperatively, supporting one another in the dark.
By Thursday morning the weather forecast remained rather ominous and consequently, we modified our plans to make the best use of the morning’s warm weather and sunshine, ensuring we were not affected by the afternoon rain.
In the morning, the students went “pond-dipping” in the river. As inquirers, they were very interested in identifying the range of creatures in the river and they excitedly used their findings to establish a cleanliness rating for the river. The guide explained the scientific procedure thoroughly to ensure that the children were not only appreciative of the wildlife but also caring and sufficiently respectful. As they found creatures in the river there was great excitement as they communicated with one another. The magnifying glasses definitely helped with the identification process.
On Thursday afternoon we headed off to the Mammoth museum; the Grade 5 students were considering their Unit of Inquiry, how the climate changes have affected the ecosystems. Having gone around the museum, it was an exciting bonus to find a campfire outside. Considering the weather, it was most fortuitous that this was under a specially designed covered wooden shelter, akin to a domed carport, with a hole in the roof. Everyone was delighted to cook their own traditional German “Stockbrot”, dough on a stick, over the campfire. Self-management skills were very important here too as they had to take great care and consider the safety of their peers, as they wielded their long sticks around with piping hot dough.
Thursday evening was our final one, so after dinner, there was a disco. All of the teachers and the students enjoyed the dancing and the students really loved the spontaneous limbo under a broomstick competition. Fun was had by all and the students were tired as they headed up to bed just after 8.30pm.
After a good night’s sleep, 7a.m. saw the children dressing, packing their bags and stripping their beds. Their organization was fantastic and by breakfast time at 8 a.m., all the sheets were down in the washroom and the cases lined up in the hallway. Even the day packs were downstairs and lined up outside the front door.
The teachers and the students were all excited to be going orienteering and the students listened carefully as they learned how to use a map and compass. They practiced inside, working in pairs and they were taken outside to further these newly acquired map and compass skills with their partner. Walking on a bearing does not always entail going on the path and it was a very muddy, slippery slope that we took up the hill between the trees.
Over the course of the trip, all of the students faced individual personal challenges at different times, being brave risk-takers. They were able to support and help one another, showing empathy for their peers. These shared experiences along with their great cooperation and interdependency will benefit them in class for the whole year as they progress on their learning journeys with their peers."
She said it much better than I ever could!
As for the pictures, they have just come through and I will post them below. I can't always figure out what goes with each part of the story Ms. Moloney told but at least they show that MadHatter is smiling and learning a lot!
